The Star of Hope, a German barque, was on a voyage from Wilmington, North Carolina to Liverpool, carrying a cargo of cotton in 1883.

The ship was caught in a Force 10 gale in the Mersey approaches and was reported to be in distress. All her crew found refuge on the Crosby Lightship, after she collided with another vessel, the Kuvus, in the Mersey mouth, and the Star of Hope was left to the mercy of the storm, stranding off Ainsdale.

John Dempsey of Green Sefton wrote in 2022

Like a seasonal greetings card, the tips of a few spars protruding from the sand were a welcome reminder from an old friend on the Sefton Coast that she was still okay.

The Star of Hope is probably the best loved shipwreck on the shoreline, but currently lies hidden by sandbanks on the beach south of Ainsdale. It is certainly my favourite wreck, and if I’m being honest, I miss her when the sandbanks roll over the remains and she becomes invisible, protected from the elements by silt and sand.

On the one hand it means that beams, hatches and the shattered elements of her decking and hull are preserved for future visitors to enjoy when sandbanks shift again and she emerges from the beach like a living history lesson. On the other it means guided walks out to the Star are pointless as there is nothing to see and she exists only as photographs and memories until the shifting sands move again.

WARNING

Tides, channels and weather can change alarmingly quickly on the coast and only those with an expert knowledge of weather, tides and channels should attempt walking out to any wreck. I look forward to publishing details of guided walks out to the Star of Hope here again – once the sandbanks decide to release her.

Pictures by Mike Rigby used with permission